| Soul Calibur II Fierce Deity, Pirate Yoshi, Bomber Link |
| Graphics: Fierce Deity: Soul Calibur II has some of the most amazing graphics I've ever seen, but I wouldn't expect anything less perfect from Namco, the creators of masterpieces such as Xenosaga and Tales of Symphonia. Soul Calibur II's graphics are truly astounding, grabbing onto your eyes in just the opening cutscene. Most people think that game designers just make the opening cutscene look really good, but when the actual gameplay starts they are let down. Soul Calibur II does not follow that path, and the in game graphics are almost exactly like the opening scene's. Overall, Soul Calibur II doesn't leave the gamer wanting more in the graphics department and Namco holds true to the idea of making gorgeous games. Graphics: 9.5/10 Pirate Yoshi: Graphics are a hard thing to judge a game by--one could argue how impressive they are, another could argue that the game should've had much better graphics even. I have given SC2 a 9.7 because I feel that it had exceptional graphics compared with modern games. Could they be improved? Surely they could, as most ANYTHING can be improved somehow! But do they really need improvement? Not at all! Exceptional, dazzling illustrations make the fight fluid, fast, and fun--being able to pull off wild moves and watch your character put on a one-man acrobatics performance can be the painful process in many games, but SC2 animates every motion with precision and grace. Graphics: 9.7/10 Bomber Link: Soul Calibur II starts off with a brilliant cut scene. Showing you several seconds of most of the characters in the game. These are excellent CGI cutscene graphics, as just about every other game has with CGIs. They are nice, nothing I wasn't expecting out of Namco though. Then when the actual gameplay comes, as always, the graphics diminish. This happens in every game. But with Soul Calibur II, Namco was able to handle it very well and the graphics remain sharp and enjoyable. The characters motions are fluid and smooth. When a character attacks, there aren't any jagged motions and the graphics remain clean. And there is no such thing as perfect graphics. No game has them, and no game ever will. Graphics: 9.5/10 Team Total: 9.6/10 Sound and Music: Fierce Deity: Namco delivers once again with stunning soundtrack and great sound effects. With a wide variety of songs and a crap load of sound effects, Soul Calibur II is not only pleasing to your eyes, but to your ears as well. Every battle you enter will have a different song playing, and it will tell you what the name of it is on the bottom of the screen. Along with the main Soul Calibur II songs, the gamecube version has theme for The Legend of Zelda thrown into the mix. Each character also has their own distinct voice and over twenty different sayings that they will use during battle, or can be listened to in that characters profile. Namco knows how to deliver what the people want, and that's what makes Soul Calibur II so great. Sound and Music: 9.8/10 Pirate Yoshi: You can never go wrong with a musical score based on battles and fight scenes. I had originally heard complaints about the musical score being overly-dramatic and sickeningly similar for each song. I am here to disprove this statement. A) Every song is VERY different from the last, and it baffles me that they could think of so many different tunes that sound completely different, yet each gives the same excitement as the last and fits the environment remarkably well! B) The music, while obviously dramatic, would be completely lame if it weren't. After all, who wants to play a fighting game that has a happy little song for the battle, or a sad, slow song? The sound effects and voices are very well done, although the character lines are cheesy (this isn't the sound department's fault, though, and it actually adds a lot of humor and depth to the game--you'll find yourself repeating at least one phrase from the game, I guarantee it! "Don't worry, Talim--believe in yourself!" Sound and Music: 9.9/10 Bomber Link: Namco delivers a nice punch with their musical score for Soul Calibur II. Without good tunes, a game is ruined, no matter how good the gameplay may be. If the music is bad, the whole game is going to be bad. And this game has excellent music that I was extremely pleased with. Namco matches tunes well with different battles and settings. The music adds the right dramatic feeling to the battles that just urges you to kick the opponent's rear end. The sounds for this game are great as well. When an enemy attacks, they will grunt, yell, scream, or make some other noise and then you will hear a clank, smash, or bam as their attack connects with their opponents face. The voices were done well, as each character has a distinct voice that matches them perfectly. Some of the lines in this game are classics that you will say over and over again, and some of the other lines are just plain cheesy that will make you laugh. Sound and Music: 9.8/10 Team Total: 9.8/10 Controls: Fierce Deity: Seeing as how I'm lazy, I never read the manuals to any of my games. Well I certainly learned a lesson after trying to play SCII. They call the buttons by different names, going by what they do. For example, the R button is used to block, so they call it G for guard. So after figuring out the controls, I thought they were fairly easy. However, that's only the case if you don't want to perform super mega one million damage combos. The combos in this game are INSANELY difficult, and I have yet to attempt any of the really long ones. But if you are like most people, you are just going to be pressing the same buttons over and over again, annoying your friends as they continue to take damage without being able to retaliate. For the most part, the controls in the game are fairly easy and don't take that long to get used to. However, don't attempt any of the combos if you are the kind of person who tends to beat or throw controllers. Controls: 9.0/10 Pirate Yoshi: I've had but two beefs with SC2's controls. First and foremost, it seems that some of the buttons have been wasted--one more attack, perhaps, might've made more of the controller useful? This would make some of the trickier moves easier to pull off without severely hurting yourself in the process. My OTHER problem is that this game hurts--a truthful statement: no video game has EVER made my fingers hurt enough to keep me from playing, but SC2 had my thumbs so aching that I had to stop playing and rest them. Otherwise, though, very good work on the controls! Controls: 9.5/10 Bomber Link: Controls. A very important part of the game. The controls for Soul Calibur II are on par in my books. When first learning the controls, they try and mess with your head and call the buttons by totally different names than what they really are, and give them different letters. So according to Namco, the B button is now the G button and the X button is now the K button. Come on, that was just plain stupid. Now, when in battle, you forget about all that K and G crap, and just start tapping buttons at first. Then, after getting used to what button does what, you figure out some of your own combos for keeping the enemy at bay. Some of the combos for this game are seriously easy to pull off. Some of them are best left alone. But, all-in-all, pretty good controls are dished out from Namco for Soul Calibur II, that anyone can get used to. Controls: 9.1/10 Team Total: 9.2/10 Storyline: Fierce Deity: Storyline is something you rarely find in a fighting game, let alone a great storyline. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance had one, but they didn't really tell it very well. However, Namco takes it one step further, creating an entire world that players will navigate through. You follow the storyline through Weapon Master Mode, where you start of with training. As you make your way across the lands, you will buy new weapons, gain levels, and fight a ton of people. While going through the lands, you are looking for information about the Soul Edge, which all characters in the game are after for some personal reason. It may not be the kind of storyline you would expect to see in an RPG, but it sure beats no storyline at all. Storyline: 8.9./10 Pirate Yoshi: Storyline is included in Pirate Yoshi's review of the Gameplay. Bomber Link: YES! STORYLINE! My favorite part of any game. I love a great, deep storyline. That is why I am a big fan of RPGs. Soul Calibur II's storyline is there. Not very deep. Set up fairly well. Rather simple. Every character wants the Soul Edge. They all have their reasons. Some are similar to others. They all battle for the Soul Edge. They use it for their own purposes. The end. But how do you put a wonderful, deep, intriguing storyline into a fighting game? You can't. Which is why it is hard to give a fighting game a high score for storyline. And since I am used to very long, deep storylines, it does disappoint me. Namco probably could have made it more in depth. Storyline: 8.6/10 Team Total: 8.8/10 Gameplay: Fierce Deity: Soul Calibur II is honestly one of the best fighting games. It offers so much more than any other game of its kind, blowing my previous favorite (Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance) into the dust. It offers over ten playable modes, more than any other street fighting game has ever done. Along with that, Soul Calibur II is just plain fun to play. Nothing is more fun than you and your friend making a team of eight players and pitting them against each other, seeing who can last the longest. Other features include stuff like Survival Mode, which goes up as high as level fifty! The true fun lies in going through Weapon Master Mode, where you are on the quest to find the Soul Edge. Overall, Soul Calibur II has some of the most addicting gameplay I've ever seen and will keep you attached to it for weeks on end. Gameplay: 9.0/10 Pirate Yoshi: This includes my definition of the "story" category Fierce likes to include. SC2 is so detailed; every character has their own story, so it'd be nearly impossible for me to give you the entire novel behind Soul Calibur II. Of course, that won't keep me from trying: every fighter, for one purpose or another, good or evil, wants their hands on Soul Edge, a mysterious and powerful weapon coveted by all. Some want to destroy it and its evil forever--others want to join the dark side and wield it for the forces of darkness. Outside of the story line, the game is exceptionally fun--gold and experience, plus rewards, keep you going, and the battle engine keeps each fight fresh from the last. And a note to those that think the game is too kiddie because of the lack of blood: when people are jabbing swords through each other, there's an extremely small margin that would not be able to get the game if it contained blood. Trust me, no blood is not a liability, and should only help the game's image (especially with those doctors who announce that bloody, gory games cause kids to become axe murderers). Astoundingly good game here, folks. Gameplay: 9.8/10 Bomber Link: Gameplay, I consider this how much fun you are going to have playing it. Whether it is worth your time or not. Anyone who has never played Soul Calibur II, on any system.... you are missing out on the greatest fighting game ever. There is a lot to do in this game, but any hardcore will have everything there is to have in this game in a matter of several days. Unlockables include different weapons, characters, profiles, movies, art galleries, and different play modes. There are several different play modes that really are not worth your time. But there are some that I enjoyed. Survival mode challenged my skills to the max. This game is worth anyone's time and everyone needs to give this game a chance. Odds are you will like it. Gameplay: 9.5/10 Team Total: 9.4/10 Replayability: Fierce Deity: Soul Calibur II is classified as weapons based fighting game, and they aren't joking! With over 200 weapons to unlock, you'll be trying to rake in as much cash as possible. Along with that, there are unlockable characters, costumes, stages, art, videos, and much much more. You'll be playing through the many different modes, trying to figure out what unlocks what. Even after you've unlocked everything there is to unlock, there are plenty of modes that can test your abilities in the game. If you feel like there is nothing left to do after you complete all the modes, you could always try and master one of those super mega combos I mentioned earlier. However, once everything is said and done, there is hardly anything to do after you've obtained all the unlocks. Though there are plenty of modes, it’s a stretch that you’ll even find yourself playing the game again. Replayability: 8.0/10 Pirate Yoshi: Namco's figured out just what gamers want--and that's more things to unlock! We all love obtaining newer, better things within our video games, whether it be modes, characters, and levels. Soul Calibur 2 has plenty of everything for us to unlock, and when I say plenty, I mean PLENTY! There are many modes to unlock, several characters to uncover, some arenas to obtain, and, of course, bazillions of weapons! By mixing up how to unlock all these things (some require cash from Weapons Master mode, some require special instructions), SC2 ensures that you'll play the game a thorough amount and still keep playing past then for the last extras. Every fight feels fresh and new, despite maybe taking place against the same character, at the same place, with the same weapons even! It's amazing how exceptionally hard to put down this game is! Replayability: 9.7/10 Bomber Link: This is a hard one. I had completed the game in less than a week. Unlocked everything there was to unlock. After that I played it once more at a friend's house. That was it. I have not even had the urge to play this game again. This is a great game and some people will find great replayability in it. Just grab a couple friends and have some tournaments. This fighting game just doesn't have the replayability of some of the other fighting games out there, like Super Smash Brothers Melee. There was a game with the best replayability in any fighting game ever. Maybe after I finish this review, I will have some urge to take Soul Calibur II out again and kick some booty. Maybe if it had not ended too abruptly, I might still be playing it once in awhile. Replayability: 9.0/10 Team Total: 9.1/10 Fierce Deity Overall Score: 8.5/10 Pirate Yoshi Overall Score: 9.7/10 Bomber Link Overall Score: 9.3/10 Overall Team Score: 9.2/10 |
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